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UK Floor Cleaning Forum => Carpet Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: NigelD on June 07, 2006, 10:49:57 pm

Title: Coffee Stains
Post by: NigelD on June 07, 2006, 10:49:57 pm
Tried to remove heavy stains across man made carpet.
Black instant coffee. Client has used Vanish and Rug Doctor to clean. Previous spills had cleaned OK but not this time, I was called in so......
Tried Prochem Coffee Satin - no joy
Tried Hydramaster Coffee Stain - no joy
Alltec Specialist Stain - no joy
Solutions No 3 - no joy
Alltec de-browning - no joy

All were rinsed and dried (hairdryer) before moving on

My feeling is that she has set the stain. Has anyone else come across this and what proved successful?
If I can remove the stain then she wants to the whole carpet cleaned and protected, but feels it pointless with the stain in place.

Your help, comments much appreciated.

Nigel


Title: Re: Coffee Stains
Post by: Kev Loomes on June 07, 2006, 11:08:04 pm
Your assumption was right, it seems likely that the stain has been set. I'm afraid that once they use the garbage out of the shops it's way too late - rendering our efforts useless :'(

Sorry to be a downer but there is nothing you can do - except considering a carpet repair to replace the stain, if it can be done.
Title: Re: Coffee Stains
Post by: Jason Hedges on June 07, 2006, 11:54:51 pm
Hi Nigel,

Sounds like you've tried most avenues for removing the stain.

As formula6 said customer had probably set the stain already. Most people will try vanish / 1001 etc. before they contact a professional cleaner because its obviously cheaper.

I always ask if they've tried to remove the stain themselves when contacted. If no then give them an approximate price for your call out and attempted stain removal (never guarantee complete removal).

If yes then be wary and quantify possible limited results but still quote a price for attempting. Its not nice taking money from someone when you haven't removed a stain but time is money!

I had to quote for a cream wool rug with red wine stains on. When I got there the red wine stains were grey and the areas were fluffy from aggressive rubbing and had obviously been worked on by the customer with a general stain remover. Walked away after they denied touching it.

Hope this helps.

Kind regards,
Jason.







Title: Re: Coffee Stains
Post by: NigelD on June 08, 2006, 04:12:45 pm
Thanks guys.

I had seen the the stains and pre-qualified it. But I guess I don't like taking money when the problem is still there. But as you say time is money and I put plenty of time in for little result.

Nigel
Title: Re: Coffee Stains
Post by: steve cardy on June 08, 2006, 04:56:12 pm
Hi Nigel
I have had success with chemspec spray and go and also woodbridge coffee stain remover,but not all the time every time as circumstances and carpet fibres differ so much.
Title: Re: Coffee Stains
Post by: the red carpet on June 08, 2006, 06:53:01 pm
If all else fails i would use use alltecs hydrogen poroxide and amonia solution, this will not get rid of the stain but slowly bleach it and turn it colourless so you will not see it ;)

Has allways worked for me (bar once) but it takes several applications, so unless the job is worth a bit of money it may not be worth the time.
Title: Re: Coffee Stains
Post by: Kev Loomes on June 08, 2006, 07:21:36 pm
As Red has said peroxide can help but only if the stain hasnt been tampered with!. In Nigels case this has happened, subsequently no real success will be achieved (hence which is why and no alternatives were advised - apart from repair)  :P
Title: Re: Coffee Stains
Post by: carpetclean on June 08, 2006, 08:27:29 pm
i have had many a success with prochems coffee and tea stain  remover though i have had to let it stand for quite some time on stubborn ones even ones that has had shop products on them
Title: Re: Coffee Stains
Post by: *paul_moss on June 10, 2006, 05:45:07 pm
Try Tannox from cleancare,Ive found it he best out of all the coffee removers.A mixture od Sodmetabitesulph&butoxyethanol seems to do the trick though.

Jason hows things going?
Title: Re: Coffee Stains
Post by: craigp on June 10, 2006, 08:16:53 pm
tell custy best thing is put a rug over it ;D
Title: Re: Coffee Stains
Post by: craigp on June 10, 2006, 08:24:13 pm
i find man made carpets normally coffee comes out, its the modern wool when i cant get it out, but the older 10-20 year wool seems to be more stain resistent.

on my own carpet (man made) i found coffee stain remover not to work but oxiclean did came out a treat!

ironic all the chems in the van and bloody oxiclean the only thing to work ???
Title: Re: Coffee Stains
Post by: RA 105 on June 14, 2006, 12:24:25 pm
Hi Nigel,
I have found that a weak solution of rust remover is often very effective at removing tea/coffee and other brown stains.
Make sure you rinse out after use.

Regards
Robert